Glue sniffer turns on own grandma

And Christian John Comyn was released on parole in the Rockhampton Magistrates Court on Wednesday after serving about three months in prison.

The now 20-year-old is no stranger to the justice system, having been dealt with before on a number of charges, including spitting on two police officers.

And over the past six months it seems he’s been up to his old tricks.

On November 29 last year Comyn was seen by two police liaison officers sniffing glue from a bag at the boat ramp on Quay St.

When they addressed him, he became violent and they were forced to call in police back-up.

After much swearing and resistance on his part, he was eventually charged and then taken up to hospital.

On December 26 police were called after a glue-sniffing Comyn had again turned violent and was banging on bins and kicking in the door of a Berserker St business.

He managed to do about $147 worth of damage to the door.

He was again charged and this time taken to the watchhouse, where he turned his violence towards officers.

Not one to quit while he’s behind, Comyn continued his troublesome ways, the next occurrence being at Stockland Rockhampton.

Again seemingly intoxicated, Comyn was wandering around the car park in front of vehicles and resisted security’s attempts to remove him from the property.

Again, when police became involved he turned aggressive, continually ignoring their directions, swearing at them and eventually resisting arrest.

Just two days later Comyn turned on his own grandmother.

After a disagreement he went into a rage, tearing the letter box from his grandmother’s front lawn and using it to smash louvres on the front of her house and almost all of the windows of her car.

His rage caused about $3300 worth of damage.

Then on January 29, Comyn smashed the windows of a new Toyota Hilux that was parked at the Riverside car park, and stealing some keys, two lighters and some small change from inside.

Witnesses saw the incident, phoned the police and again Comyn turned violent when they arrived.

This time he punched a police officer to the side of the head, then almost immediately began fitting, so an ambulance was called.

After being given the all-clear by medical staff, police resumed their questioning, but Comyn wasn’t in the mood, spitting in one officer’s face then yelling: “yeah cop, you like that hey?” This was followed by a string of obscenities.

After this incident he was taken into custody, where he remained until Wednesday.

Defence solicitor Paul Wonnocott said Comyn had attended the Special School in North Rockhampton until Grade 10, and had developed a habit of sniffing glue at just 15 years old.

Mr Wonnocott said he was remorseful for his actions, particularly concerning his grandmother, and was hoping to reconstruct a relationship with his 12-month-old daughter.

He said Comyn had come from a difficult background and had a pattern of doing well when he stopped sniffing glue.

Magistrate John McGrath told Comyn his only hope for the future was in stopping this habit.

“If you’re high on glue, how the hell can you have a relationship with your daughter?” Mr McGrath asked.

“You have a choice.

"If you want to keep sniffing glue, no one is going to stop you but yourself.”

He took into account that Comyn had already been in custody for about three months and sentenced him to six months imprisonment with immediate parole.

He was also ordered to pay restitution for the damage he had done in his rampage, including $500 compensation to the police officer he spat on.

If you want to keep sniffing glue, no one is going to stop you but yourself.